Pantry Staples for Meal Plans

Stocking a pantry isn't as easy as it looks. Good pantry ideas keep your shelves full while allowing for variety of meal plans.

The key words when it comes to easy meal planning are organization and cooperation. If the pantry and refrigerator are stocked and meal plans are already decided upon well in advance, then keeping up, even if your family is large, shouldn't be too difficult.

Staples
A few staples should be kept on hand in every pantry: salt and pepper, butter, olive oil, flour and a variety of spices. Keep in mind that a box of Bisquick is also good to have on hand because it can be used in a variety of ways. Noodles of several different types and flavors should also be kept on hand. Elbow macaroni, spaghetti and egg noodles are common favorites. Try to keep at least one extra box of each in the pantry. When you use up one, restock.

Keep flour and other dry goods on hand, but remember they do not keep indefinitely. Flour, coffee and tea can be frozen to keep them fresh, but, if you can't freeze the item in question, at least move it to an airtight jar, plastic container or metal storage tin, and store it in a cool place.

Some items that can be frozen include chicken tenders, fish, shrimp and hamburger. Purchase meats, fish and other proteins when they're on sale. Buy one for now and one for later. Remember, too, that freezers should be filled to the recommended capacity in order to operate efficiently and properly.

Basic Pantry Rules
Replace each package or box of a staple food as it is emptied. In other words, have two in the house at all times, one that you're currently cooking from and one in the pantry. When you empty the one you are using, replace it with the one from the pantry, and automatically replace the one in the pantry with a brand-new box.

While that plan works well for most things, it is not necessary or even smart to keep baking power or baking soda on hand in such a manner. Because it takes a long time to use up baking power, baking soda, vanilla and some spices, only replace them when they are nearing empty, and do not keep an extra in the pantry or fridge.

Keeping a list of staples posted on the wall in the pantry and highlighting items that should be replaced is a good method for keeping up with your baking goods. To keep from having to redo the list each time you go shopping, have the list laminated, and use a dry-erase marker and eraser.